Miami Dolphins General Manager Jeff Ireland is CLEARLY running out of quarterback options, and poker chips.

Will the Dolphins change their tune on Matt Moore?

The one thing Ireland couldn’t afford to happen – Peyton Manning picking the Denver Broncos over the Tennessee Titans and the San Francisco 49ers – happened on Monday.

That means Manning doesn’t dislodge Matt Hasselbeck, who could have ended up with Cleveland or Miami on the rebound. And Manning doesn’t push 49ers starter Alex Smith into the arms of another.

Miami wasn’t so lucky because Manning will trade in his horse shoe for a Bronco, and that means Miami’s back is up against the wall in this offseason’s hunt for a quarterback.

Robert Griffin III is headed to Washington, which traded two first-round picks and a second rounder to secure the No. 2 pick.

Matt Flynn signed a three-year, $26 million deal with Seattle.

Smith, who visited the Dolphins on Sunday in his jilted lover tour, is likely going to re-sign with the 49ers. And don’t be surprised if Smith gets a little extra coin in his bank account for the troubles the 49ers put him through when San Francisco wouldn’t finalize his three-year, $24 million offer because they were waiting on Manning.

Chad Henne, who Miami dumped after 31 lackluster starts, is gone to Jacksonville.

Kyle Orton, who Miami flirted with last offseason before pulling out of a trade with Denver, is signed with Dallas.

Jason Campbell, a solid starter for the Raiders last year, is now a backup in Chicago.

What does that leave the Dolphins other than heartburn?

Ryan Tannehill’s the last realistic option, and the Dolphins aren’t even in the driver seat to secure the Texas A&M’s quarterback, whom offensive coordinator Mike Sherman coached during his tenure with the Aggies.

Cleveland, which is also searching for a quarterback this offseason, has the No. 4 pick.

Miami has the No. 8 pick in the 2012. See where I’m going here?

That means to guarantee the Dolphins end up with Tannehill the Dolphins’ decision makers would have to trade up, possibly swapping picks with Minnesota (No. 3), to get ahead of the Browns.

Comments (863 Comments)

GaPhin, the Parcells/Ireland regime only drafted one QB during their tenure and that was in the 2nd rd (Henne) in 08 in their first year. Pat White was not drafted as a traditional QB. He was for an expanded version of the Wildcat, we all know that. It was a mistake. Henne at least had the tools of a traditional QB, he just didn’t pan out.

So in reality they’re 0-1. But the problem is it’s year 5 and we’ve only drafted one. Pennington played a role in that though.

Stephen Ross has turned this franchise into a S*^# Show! Doesn’t this clown realize that starting with Jim Harbaugh and moving all the way down the list these guys do not want to be around all the garbage he has turned this franchise into?!?! Get rid of the whole celebrity brigade and 1% owners and sell this team to someone who has enough clue to hire a GM that knows what he is doing and has an impact. I mean come on…its never ending because nobody takes the front office seriously! Matt Flynn did not even want to play for the coach who has brought him to this point. I kinda wish we had Randy Mueller back as the GM at this point.

Wtf is the matter with all the crybaby fans? I have been a dolphin fan for 40 years, since the 72fins (I was six years old and can remember the commotion my uncles made after the undefeated season). Every year some people want the current regime fired. It seems that blogs seem to breed negativity. People calling for someones head every year. Even shula, marino, joe robbie weren’t exempt from it. I think im gonna just boycott the blogs and keep loving the team. Getting rid of henne and marshall, to me, makes this off season a success imo. We are a better team now than at this point last year.

They need to sign Russell Wilson! I don’t know why more people are not clamoring for him. He is being way undervalued because of his size but he was the most efficient QB last year (73%) 31 tds to 4 ints. He can make any throw and is a quick study. It would be a mistake to pass on him.

I like Moore and he deserves a chance to start…I really like Weeden from OSU put up great numbers and he’s a winner…remember Staubach was 29 when drafted by the Cowboys…so age isn’t really relevant if you’re good

what dream world are you living in? tannerhill? seriously. your’re a bum. name me some great things he did at A&M. and did you even see him play this year? he cant finish games and his arm is weak. i know juco qbs better than him. lets take weeden even though he is 28. he’s got like 10 years left, accurate, and a big time yard. lets win a super bowl!!!!!

Theres always the chance we restructure YB’s contract but fact is, he’s aged and a liability in the passing game. We will miss his locker room presence and I wish him nothing but the best but it’s time for one of our other safeties to step it up. Also, I have no problem bringing in Smith unless it keeps us from drafting Tannehill, lol

I was positive at the beginning of the day now I’m just PO’d Does our FO think they’re smart? Because right now they’re making a huge laughing stock out of this team.

-Trade BM our best reciever(i thought he needed to go but NFL world laughs at us for it)
-miss on PM/Flynn(didnt really want either, I like Moore)
-Bring Smith/Garrard????(are you F’n serious right now????)
-Let Winston walk knowing our need at RT(there goes our rebuild for ROLINE)
-Trade away our number one defensive player the last 4 years in tackles(can’t wait to see what they say about this organization next)

O’s tweet is perfect for this….

OmarKelly Hey….if you’ve already pissed off the fan base to a breaking point, why not go all the way in.

We just lost one of our best run stuffers in Langford. He made Soliai look better than he is.

Now we just lost our top tackler in Bell. Sure, he sucked in the passing game, but he was very good against the run and made up for deficits in our front 7. Who, exactly, are our starting safeties going to be?

Odrick isn’t that great at stopping the run YET. Wake is still working on his run defense, and we don’t even know who our WOLB will be next year.

I don’t think this defense is going to look as good next year as they did last year unless they somehow draft several really good defensive players.

And, i wouldn’t be surprised if this draft is offense heavy.

But watch…we’ll look good against a last place schedule next year, and people will say we’re “great” when we miss the playoffs AGAIN.

Bell was someone we discussed as a cap casualty. He was due $5.8M this year. Not a shock. He’s a liability in coverage and he’s entering his 10th season.

Gigi, nobody doubts Bell’s leadership, tackling ability and big hits. But it’s not enough in today’s game. You have to cover at safety. Coyle is a secondary coach running the defense now. We’ll see if they bring Bell back in a limited role. With new coaches there will always be changes in personnel. That’s a given.

For the record, secondary coaches make good DCs and even HCs if you do some research. I’m not creating the list. LOL

I hate this team so much, I am a life long fan and I feel like I have been abused for the last time. Stephen Ross needs to go back to New York and stay out of football, he is in way over his head, and he might as well take a dump on every piece of dolphins history. On second thought I hope he keeps running the team, because at this rate it will go under and I will finally be relieved that I never have to root for this team ever again.

What the hell is Ross and Ireland doing in Miami? They just got rid of Yeremiah Bell. What the hell is going on? I’m going to have to switch to the Vikings or another team. This is getting ridiculous. Honestly, Ross is trying to destroy this team. WHAT WERE THEY THINKING??? If they were really after Manning, why not release Bell when they were after him???? WHAT IN HELL ARE THEY THINKING?????

The team did tell us Pat White was drafted as a QB, repeatedly. I still don’t buy it was Parcell’s idea either…just way too out of character. I think he just took the bullet for it…and I’m sticking to it.*L*

Ireland still has to convince me he can actually draft quality offensive players. Hopefully, the guys he drafted last year come through this season. Lots of potential…gotta see it on the field yet though.

u dont get jim harbaugh, miss out on jeff fisher, cant get peyton, cant get matt flynn, to late to draft rg3, trade ur best player away for two number 3s, can some please tell me what jeff ireland is doing, he is the definition of an idiot.HE NEEDS TO BE FIRED. STRAIGHT DUMBA%*.

They just got rid of Bell, the team leader. This team is being regutted when we were informed there close to playoff material — Just a quarterback short. I think Ross and Ireland and several bricks short of a load!!!

omar kelly your a bum too. take a good ole look at some of tannerhills games. if tannerhill is our only “hope” then obi one kenobi is my only hope. lol. people like you and and ross make me wana have a new favorite team to love. i’ve been a fan for 26 years and us fans are getting irritated.

Put it right where the blame belongs. Stephan Ross. He brought in the fat slob “has been” Parcells and the stink still lingers. NY/NJ piece of s**t.
They “F”ed it up by not trading up for RG3. The Redskins had the balls to do it. The Dolphins were scared again. What did they have to loose?
Do you think that they would have approached the RG3 situation differently if they could have predicted what happened in the last few days?
You bet they would have. There is no rabbit in the hat or any real free agent option left.

GIVE UP THE WHOLE DRAFT. EVERY ROUND AND SEE IF THE SKINS OR INDY TAKES THEM UP ON THE OFFER.

They have said all along they had a plan. Well, we are still waiting. Ross!

A fan for almost 40 years this front office has to be the biggest joke in theNFL. What the hell are these morons doing to what used to be one of the most respected to the below the least respected. I’m done.

Pretty nice post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say that I have really enjoyed browsing your weblog posts. In any case I’ll be subscribing in your feed and I’m hoping you write once more soon!

Is it April fools day?? because this has to be a joke. David Garrard is our new
franchise quarter back??. WTF. I wish I lived in Miami so I could boycott
all the dulphins games!!!! Some one please start a petition in Miami to have
Ross and Ireland removed from doing any further damage to the Dolphins
franchise!! We are the Saint’s of the 21st century.

…first, Ross, iirc, went to public school here, and is more a FL native than many of you so lay off the “go back to NY/NJ” crap …this is his “home” and your drool won’t change the simple fact of it.

…second, can ANYONE show me where Ross actually said what he has been repeatedly alleged to have said? …no? …didn’t think so …make up a story, twist it, repeat it endlessly, it becomes the new “truth”

…third, knock off the crap about the FO being a Ross clown show creation …everything in the FO directly related to football operations was created by Parcels under Huizenga’s reign …Ross inherited it …and if you’re going to tell me Parcels is a football ignoramus, I’m not hearing you …the exception is that Ross finally pulled the plug on Sparano and staff …anyone accusing him of imbecility for that move? …no, didn’t think so.

…the list is long but it can be easily summarized …I’m far more agitated by the long line of ignorant, hate driven, even moronic posts here of late than anything I see coming out of the fins FO …in fact, I don’t see anything coming out of the FO …they are keeping their lips zipped …sadly we can’t say the same for all the media “experts” and “sources” that have fed the current frenzy for their own selfish purposes …ratings, clicks, sales, etc, etc

…despite the rage induced spittle flowing here, Ross is a self-made billionaire who knows how to manage very large enterprises quite successfully …he bought the fins franchise because he’s every bit as much a fins fan as anyone here …he wants to restore it to its former primacy and he has the money, executive skills, determination, and drive to succeed in doing so.

…he’s not perfect by any means but the ignorant drivel being posted here by haters who can’t even walk in his shadow is pure unadulterated crap

…imnsho of course

…cool it, wait to see what the results of this off season really are …then you can judge people on results, not hate driven, spittle laced posts by evident know-nothings …in the mean-time, stop turning this blog space back into the farce it became when Home was dominant here.

…oh yeah, O is a bum? …really? …do you have any clue at all what a dead zone this blog space was before O moved up from the ‘canes beat? …no, of course not …god save us from the keyboard blather of held-back12 year olds …and I’m giving you the befit of the doubt as to your maturity

I took a minute to review our last 3 drafts, and I just want you to pay close attention to our picks and the individuals that we did not pick. I only focused on the first three rounds, but there are most certainly some screw ups.

2011 1st round pick # player name team

15 Mike Pouncey Miami

28 Mark Ingram New Orleans

31 Cameron Heyward Pittsburgh
2nd round
35 Andy Dalton Cincinnati

51 Da’Quan Bowers Tampa Bay

62 Daniel Thomas Miami
3rd round
71 Demarco Murray Dallas

74 Ryan Mallet New England

2010 1st round 28 Jared Odrick Miami

2nd round 40 Koa Misi Miami

42 Rob Gronkowski New England

3rd Round
73 John Jerry Miami

84 Jordan Shipley Cincinnati

87 Eric Decker Denver

2009 1st round 25 Vontae Davis Miami

26 Clay Matthews Green Bay

29 Hakeem Nicks New York (G)
2nd round
44 Pat White Miami

53 LaSean McCoy Philadelphia

61 Sean Smith Miami
3rd round
84 Mike Wallace Pittsburgh

Good picks- Mike Pouncey, Vontae Davis

Bad picks- John Jerry, Pat White, Jared Odrick

Up in the air- Daniel Thomas, Koa Misi, Sean Smith

Mallet, Gronkowski, Shipley, Matthews, Nicks, McCoy, Wallace, Dalton, Murray, Ingram, Heyward, Bowers, and Decker were all passed on by
Jeff Ireland and the Dolphins brass. I know that no one can predict how draftees will turn out, but 2 good picks in 3 years doesn’t stack up for me and should not be acceptable to any Dolphins fan.

This team once was a Top Dog…what happened? Someone has to be responsible for the bad decisions! Who?? I’m not attacking anyone person, but someone said “no” a lot this past week. Was it the GM, owner, HC?? I’m perplexed on how we played a game with Matt Flynn!

Former players say the someone, while others (not even a Dolphin) said players simply don’t want to play for the Dolphins. How can this happen?

When will Mr. Ross address this issue? Bill Pollien (sp) is out there, how about talking to him given our fall from the grace of football?

OMAR KELLY was unsuccessful at achieving his childhood dream to become a super hero, so he figured he'd do the next best thing and become a journalist who fights against injustice, and searches for truth. After being bored to death reporting news and covering politics, he switched to sports.
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IZZY GOULD joined the Sun Sentinel in Feb. 2012 as a Senior Sports Reporter on the Miami Dolphins beat. He came to South Florida fresh off covering the University of Alabama football program, including its 2011 national championship team. More